GPS didn't work in the Villages

[conn8757]

I have a new GPS in our car and when I tried to load addresses in it for The Villages or Lady Lake - it would not take them. I know the GPS works because we just took an extensive road trip of several thousand miles and it worked. What am I doing wrong? We were looking in the Hadley, Bonita, St. Charles area - should I have used a different city or the Village name?

[Hawkwind]

Conn, most likely the software is not up to date with the newer sections of TV. I have a Garmin and the software has not been updated in about a year and I do not have the newer areas such as Hadley, Bonita, St. Charles. It may take a year or two to get new streets updated in the mapping software.

[Ooper]

Much of the older software will still show all the streets North of Rt.466. Try finding some places in that area. If you can, then you just need to upgrade your gps map software. Go online for your manufacturer to see if you can dowload a newer version. It will cost you, however, for the upgrade.

[Niels]

Because TV builds new roads so fast, it is difficult for the GPS makers to update their map software fast enough. When I visited TV last year, I had a brand new Garmin GPS but found myself unable to find any addresses in the newer villages.

[conn8757]

Thanks everyone - I have a Garmin that is a month old. I do get one free download but since it is so new, do not want to use it yet. I have the Villages map and we know how to get to each village since we have been there enough. It is just locating some of the streets that I need to use my old GPS on (map and magnifing glass). I wish they sold the Villages map in laminated form.

[KayakerNC]

**snip**I wish they sold the Villages map in laminated form.

:agree:

[Russ_Boston]

Must be just me but I don't see the need to use GPS within The Villages. I've only visited twice for a total of three weeks and had no issues finding anything. A quick look into the Villages map and off we went.

GPS are great for places you have never or rarely visit but not needed, IMHO, around TV. Especially if you live there!

[graciegirl]

You are right Russ. That map is worth it's weight in gold. I love maps, and so does Sweetie and Gretchen. A lot of smart people have difficulty with them. However, I interpret space as North, South, East and West and Sweetie navigates (very accurately) with left and right. Funny thing, space orientation!

[Ken Lehmann]

Our GPS didn't work either when we were last down to TV until we loaded Lady lake instead of the VILLAGES. and then voila we were good to go. Try it.
enjoy!

[784caroline]

CONN8757

Be careful...I believe the one free update is good within 90 days of purchase. I would call GARMIN customer service and they will confirm....but you cannot delay the update for a year or 2!

[KayakerNC]

On our day-trip visit, we just put in the address for the sales center at LSL, 1000 Lake Sumter Landing, Lady Lake, and explored The Villages knowing that our Garmin Nuvi (known as "THE LADY") would guide us....and she did.:eclipsee_gold_cup:

[anniem129]

Correct that Garmin's free update is only good for 90 days. If you didn't know, they now have a 'lifetime' map update product - instead of paying $70-$100 for one update, you can purchase a lifetime update for $119 - it allows you to download all of North America (US, Canada, not Mexico), and you can get updates 4 times a year for the life of your Garmin. It's compatible with the Nuvi series and one other model...I'm old so that escapes me right now...
The 2009 Garmin map has Villages info south to 466A on it, but using Lady Lake as the city is the key. You can get the lifetime update online at Garmin or purchase a 'key' from Best Buy or similar stores. You still have to go online to download it.

Hey...I thought THE LADY was the name of MY Garmin!!!

[Keedy]

Correct that Garmin's free update is only good for 90 days. If you didn't know, they now have a 'lifetime' map update product - instead of paying $70-$100 for one update, you can purchase a lifetime update for $119 - it allows you to download all of North America (US, Canada, not Mexico), and you can get updates 4 times a year for the life of your Garmin. It's compatible with the Nuvi series and one other model...I'm old so that escapes me right now...
The 2009 Garmin map has Villages info south to 466A on it, but using Lady Lake as the city is the key. You can get the lifetime update online at Garmin or purchase a 'key' from Best Buy or similar stores. You still have to go online to download it.

Hey...I thought THE LADY was the name of MY Garmin!!!

That's funny. We call her the Satellite Lady.

Keedy

[Russ_Boston]

Curious - Do you (those that use GPS in TV) use the GPS in the golf cart around the compound as well?

[Taltarzac]

On our day-trip visit, we just put in the address for the sales center at LSL, 1000 Lake Sumter Landing, Lady Lake, and explored The Villages knowing that our Garmin Nuvi (known as "THE LADY") would guide us....and she did.:eclipsee_gold_cup:

My older brother rented a car from the Orlando International Airport with a Garmin Nuvi. This had a Lady with an Australian accent. I wonder if this is the voice you hear in other GPSs?

He called her the B****.

[KayakerNC]

My older brother rented a car from the Orlando International Airport with a Garmin Nuvi. This had a Lady with an Australian accent. I wonder if this is the voice you hear in other GPSs?

He called her the B****.

Garmin has many voices, you can change them in the settings.:pepper2:

[KayakerNC]

Curious - Do you (those that use GPS in TV) use the GPS in the golf cart around the compound as well?

For the golfer that has everything (Father's Day is coming).
http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-GPS-8-GolfLogix-GPS-by/dp/B0015IV1Q8/ref=pd_ybh_1?pf_rd_p=280800601&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1501&pf_rd_i=ybh&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1JWBPA4P9NM693V6AV86

[Don H]

Our TomTom has a bunch of voices. We use the British lady for ours. Speaking of voices...I think Gunney, R.Lee Ermy would be great on a GPS. I can only imagine taking a wrong turn after not following his directions. I can hear it now. "All right MAGGOT! I told your sorry *&(% to turn RIGHT back there. Now turn your sorry butt around and GET WITH THE PROGRAM!!!!! ;-)

[SteveFromNY]

Curious - Do you (those that use GPS in TV) use the GPS in the golf cart around the compound as well?

I've never really used it to get around, but since it tells you your speed, I did use it to make sure my golf cart went 20 MPH. When I bought the cart, it seemed slow and I wanted to verify it could go "full speed".

Since the tunnels and some of the golf cart paths aren't all on the maps, or even right next to roads, it could be tough using it for routing as it would assume use of the streets. So unless you had a general sense of where to go, it may not help. For instance, those little cut-offs into neighborhoods or between some pathes wouldn't be there.

[Hawkwind]

Must be just me but I don't see the need to use GPS within The Villages. I've only visited twice for a total of three weeks and had no issues finding anything. A quick look into the Villages map and off we went.

GPS are great for places you have never or rarely visit but not needed, IMHO, around TV. Especially if you live there!

Russ, once you know the lay of the land the GPS becomes less useful I agree but still is a lot of fun to play with. When I was at TV and saw a home in the paper that was having an open house I just punched in the address and off I went. I had about a 85% hit rate on those addresses. It was great for all the places that are outside the plantation that I wanted to try.

[Eve2278]

I have a new GPS in our car and when I tried to load addresses in it for The Villages or Lady Lake - it would not take them. I know the GPS works because we just took an extensive road trip of several thousand miles and it worked. What am I doing wrong? We were looking in the Hadley, Bonita, St. Charles area - should I have used a different city or the Village name?


Garmin has the 2010 maps out now and I can enter The Villages vs. Lady Lake and it works. It has info now south of 466 but not 466A and it does not have Pennecamp but just recently added Bridgeport of Miona Shores which it didnt have in later part of 2008. It has Bonita etc..

Took me awhile to download then forever to extract but it worked...
Now in my husbands car his built in GPS does not have current info and was told he had to go to the dealer to get it upgraded...

http://www8.garmin.com/cgi-bin/mapge...&rz=0&k=1&sc=1

[Tripngirl]

Try using Lady Lake....we had the same problem but instead of using The Villages it worked...what we loved more was using the GPS outside of The Villages when we took trips to the beaches - my husband wished though that the voice commands weren't female....taking directions from a woman is kinda hard to do ....LOL....anyhow, it works great! We still used the map of the villages in the golf cart...were there for 3 weeks in June and loved every minute we were there. Sun and more sun....not so here in Boston...rain and more rain...it's July and it shoud feel like summer!

[Hawkwind]

my husband wished though that the voice commands weren't female....taking directions from a woman is kinda hard to do ....LOL

All the Garmin's that I have played with the voice can be changed from Jill to Jack. I would check under your language settings.

[k2at]

When I originally purchased my GPS it was to be used for long trips primarily, but I find now that it is great for finding routes to places very close to my home location. Areas which I rarely traveled to although they are within 25 miles of my house are now easily accessible to me. I believe I use it more for close in areas than distant locations.

[ldj1938]

Garmin sells a lifetime update program for $120 on their website. This is compared to an $80 single update at your local store... You get an updated database every three months. We had a GPS in our Lexus and the update was $450!!

[784caroline]

I Use the Garmin Nuvi in my Golf Cart to check the speed of the Golf cart. While driving it my passenger calls out the speed as we drive down an open stretch of road.

[jblum8156]

I have a new Magellan GPS and had to buy an update to get TV.
But what's even more puzzling to me is that AAA doesn't recognize TV at all. It doesn't even recognize Lady Lake.

[OpusX1]

Mrs. OpusX1 calls our Garmin The Gremlin. "Off route recalculating, Off route recalculating. Make a legal U turn." I like to take the less traveled roads sometimes.

[905home]

Living in The Villages I had to change my default settings. It's normally set for 'fastest time'. I changed that to 'shortest route'. It seems that many of the roads are 20 mph or less (at least Garmin thinks so) even though Morse, Buena Vista, and El Camino Real are THE roads that get you somewhere and you can drive faster.

Using the normal settings would take at least 33% longer to get from A to B. My GPS is over 2 years old. Maybe the newer units have been corrected. As others have mentioned, I too, cannot input 'The Villages'. Using Lady Lake does not work all the time.:swear:

[BobKat1]

I have a Garmin that's 2 or 3 years old. A year or so ago, I updated the maps (downloaded from Garmin), and The Villages is available, as well as most of addresses that were current at that time.

[handieman]

Speaking of GPS units, I favor Tom Tom and the latest update gets me to Pennecamp then runs out of roads. Hey I understand why TV grows faster than a programmer can do an update!
Mrs handie bought me the APP for my ipod touch which by the way just did a free update. It requires a windshield mount that contains a GPS receiver, speaker and power cable. I love it and use it everyday for finding all you folks out there.
If you have the conventional Tom Tom for your car, download the voice of "uncle rum" to the unit. It's hilarious having a drunk giving you directions. Mrs Handie hates him but he keeps me alert when Im alone, however she gets suspicious when I get home smiling.:pepper2:
Handie

[memason]

I have found the perfect GPS system to use in TV is the SkyCaddie! Golf is really the only thing that matters.... Right?? :wave:

[Bubbalarry]

Bought a 2009 Toyota Highlander last fall. It came with a 2007 disc. It doesn't show anything south of RT466. It will cost me $199 to buy a new disc.

Before buying the Toyota I had and still do a Garmin GPS. It costs $ 119 for a lifetime of updates.

So when traveling to newer areas from 2007 to date I use the Garmin. Besides its 100% better on the highways, especially avoiding accidents detouring you around them miles before getting close. They have updates atleast 4 times a year.

Toyota riops you off by selling a nav system that already was outdated and the only option they give you is to buy a new disc. BS on that.

:blahblahblah: :blahblahblah: :blahblahblah:

[memason]

I drive an Audi and have the same issue... The new DVD maps cost just $100, but they are only available every couple of years. The portable GPS market simply allows you to download the updates, which is both less expensive and more customer focused.

So, I too have a portable Garmin that is updated and an Audi that is not....

[784caroline]

People who buy a GPS built into ther car are in for a rude awakening..for the most part they are terrible.....our Acura GPS is useless in The Villages...and not much better driving from Jacksonville to TV down 95 and using other than 301.

My Garim 350 is well worth the money and use it everywhere.

[BobKat1]

Our new car has a hard drive nav system that also controls a lot of other features in the car. While it is neat and fun to play with, there is something to be said for our old Garmin that you can take from car to car, it's easy to use and one can update the maps as needed for $60-$70 (or $100 for lifetime updates). Especially valuable IMO in fast growing areas like TV. I hate to think what the cost to have the dealer load new maps on to the hard drive will be.

[nussbaum]

I have a friend who just bought a 2010 Chysler and it has Hadley streets in it.
A car manufacturer with financial problems and they do better than the rest.
Another friend bought a 2010 Toyota/Prius and GPS is not updated. I just updated my Magellan Maestro and only goes to Mallory with the update. The technology is out there, but no one is keeping things updated. I will buy a Garmin nuvi next time and get the free update pkg.

[Pturner]

When I bought my '07 Camry, I almost got one with a nav system. I asked about map updates and was told that they were available every two years at $100 each. So I reluctantly bought a model without the nav system and purchased a garmin. (I was reluctant because the built-in nav system seemed more convenient, and just more cool.)

Since then, as I've kept my garmin up-to-date, it has proved to be easy to use and accurate. I'm glad I "took that route".